Wu Zetian and the Peonies · chapter 1 of 4
The Snow Order
冬天的花园
On a snowy day in Chang'an, the empress sends a startling order to every flower in her garden. The proudest flower of all may not listen.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，长安下了大雪。女皇武则天坐在花园里，慢慢喝酒。
Hěnjiǔ yǐqián, Cháng'ān xià le dàxuě. Nǚhuáng Wǔ Zétiān zuòzài huāyuán lǐ, mànmàn hējiǔ.
Long ago, heavy snow fell on Chang'an. Empress Wu Zetian sat in her garden, slowly sipping wine.
- Xiao Yue 陛下，外面太冷了！您先喝一点热茶，好不好？
Bìxià, wàimiàn tàilěng le! Nín xiān hē yì diǎn rèchá, hǎo bu hǎo?
Your Majesty, it's freezing out here! Would you have some hot tea first?
- Wu Zetian 小月，你看这个花园。白白的雪里，只有梅花开了。
Xiǎoyuè, nǐ kàn zhège huāyuán. Báibái de xuě lǐ, zhǐyǒu méihuā kāi le.
Xiao Yue, look at this garden. In all this white snow, only the plum blossoms are open.
- Xiao Yue 是啊，红红的梅花真漂亮！可是别的花在哪儿呢？
Shì a, hónghóng de méihuā zhēn piàoliang! Kěshì biéde huā zài nǎr ne?
Yes, the red plum blossoms are so pretty! But where are all the other flowers?
- Wu Zetian 就是啊！桃花呢？牡丹呢？我想看很多很多花。
Jiùshì a! Táohuā ne? Mǔdan ne? Wǒ xiǎng kàn hěnduō hěnduō huā.
Exactly! Where are the peach blossoms? The peonies? I want to see lots and lots of flowers.
- Old Fu 陛下，现在是冬天。别的花都在睡觉，起不来。
Bìxià, xiànzài shì dōngtiān. Biéde huā dōu zài shuìjiào, qǐbùlái.
Your Majesty, it's winter. The other flowers are all asleep and can't get up.
- Wu Zetian 睡觉？我是女皇。我说话，花也要听我的！
Shuìjiào? Wǒ shì nǚhuáng. Wǒ shuōhuà, huā yě yào tīng wǒ de!
Asleep? I am the empress. When I speak, even the flowers must listen to me!
- Xiao Yue 福伯，陛下今天怎么了？她想做什么？
Fúbó, bìxià jīntiān zěnme le? Tā xiǎng zuò shénme?
Old Fu, what's wrong with Her Majesty today? What does she want to do?
- Old Fu 我也不知道，可是我有点害怕。
Wǒ yě bù zhīdào, kěshì wǒ yǒudiǎn hàipà.
I don't know either, but I'm a little scared.
- Wu Zetian 明天早上，我想在花园里看到很多很多花。
Míngtiān zǎoshang, wǒ xiǎng zài huāyuán lǐ kàndào hěnduō hěnduō huā.
Tomorrow morning, I want to see lots and lots of flowers in this garden.
- Old Fu 明天？可是花要到春天才会开啊！
Míngtiān? Kěshì huā yào dào chūntiān cái huì kāi a!
Tomorrow? But flowers don't bloom until spring!
- Xiao Yue 陛下，我早上都起不来。花一定也一样吧？
Bìxià, wǒ zǎoshang dōu qǐbùlái. Huā yídìng yě yíyàng ba?
Your Majesty, I can't even get up in the morning. Flowers must be the same, right?
- Wu Zetian 哈哈，你这个小月，真会说话！好，拿笔来！
Hāhā, nǐ zhège Xiǎoyuè, zhēn huì shuōhuà! Hǎo, nábǐ lái!
Ha ha, you and your jokes, Xiao Yue! All right, bring me a brush!
- Wu Zetian 我要写一封信，给花园里所有的花。
Wǒ yào xiě yì fēngxìn, gěi huāyuán lǐ suǒyǒu de huā.
I'm going to write a letter to every flower in this garden.
- Old Fu 写信？可是花会看信吗？
Xiěxìn? Kěshì huā huì kàn xìn ma?
A letter? But can flowers read?
- Wu Zetian 风会带信去。你们都听好了！
Fēng huì dài xìn qù. Nǐmen dōu tīng hǎo le!
The wind will carry it. Now listen carefully, everyone!
- Wu Zetian “明天早上，所有的花都要开。不开的花，不要留在长安。”
“Míngtiān zǎoshang, suǒyǒu de huā dōu yào kāi. Bù kāi de huā, bú yào liúzài Cháng'ān.”
"Tomorrow morning, all flowers must bloom. Any flower that does not bloom cannot stay in Chang'an."
- Xiao Yue 陛下，这个命令太大了！花会害怕的。
Bìxià, zhège mìnglìng tài dà le! Huā huì hàipà de.
Your Majesty, that is a huge order! The flowers will be scared.
- Old Fu 梅花和桃花，一定会听话。可是牡丹……
Méihuā hé táohuā, yídìng huì tīnghuà. Kěshì mǔdan…
The plum and peach blossoms will surely obey. But the peony...
- Wu Zetian 牡丹怎么了？你快说！
Mǔdan zěnme le? Nǐ kuài shuō!
What about the peony? Speak up!
- Old Fu 牡丹很骄傲。她说，春天不来，她就不开。
Mǔdan hěn jiāo'ào. Tā shuō, chūntiān bù lái, tā jiù bù kāi.
The peony is very proud. She says that if spring doesn't come, she won't bloom.
- Wu Zetian 哈哈！一个小小的花，口气这么大？
Hāhā! Yí gè xiǎoxiǎo de huā, kǒuqì zhème dà?
Ha! One little flower, and such a big attitude?
- Old Fu 陛下，牡丹的骄傲，全长安的人都知道。
Bìxià, mǔdan de jiāo'ào, quán Cháng'ān de rén dōu zhīdào.
Your Majesty, everyone in Chang'an knows how proud the peony is.
- Narrator 天黑了。风带着信，飞走了。雪下得更大了。
Tiān hēi le. Fēng dài zhe xìn, fēi zǒu le. Xuě xià de gèng dà le.
Night fell. The wind flew off with the letter. The snow came down harder.
- Xiao Yue 牡丹啊牡丹，你明天一定要开啊……
Mǔdan a mǔdan, nǐ míngtiān yídìng yào kāi a…
Oh, peony, peony... you really must bloom tomorrow...
- Old Fu 小月，你在跟谁说话？
Xiǎoyuè, nǐ zài gēn shéi shuōhuà?
Xiao Yue, who are you talking to?
- Xiao Yue 我在跟牡丹说话。我怕她不听我的。
Wǒ zài gēn mǔdan shuōhuà. Wǒ pà tā bù tīng wǒ de.
I'm talking to the peony. I'm afraid she won't listen to me.
- Wu Zetian 我们明天早上来看。牡丹要是不开，就别想留在长安！
Wǒmen míngtiān zǎoshang lái kàn. Mǔdan yàoshi bù kāi, jiù bié xiǎng liúzài Cháng'ān!
We'll come and see tomorrow morning. If the peony doesn't bloom, she can forget about staying in Chang'an!
What changed in the story?
- What does the empress want to see tomorrow morning?
“明天早上，我想在花园里看到很多很多花。”
- Why does Lao Fu say the flowers can't bloom now?
“现在是冬天。别的花都在睡觉，起不来。”
- How does the empress plan to send her order to the flowers?
“风会带信去。”
- What does Lao Fu say about the peony?
“牡丹很骄傲。她说，春天不来，她就不开。”
- What will happen if the peony does not bloom?
“牡丹要是不开，就别想留在长安！”